At KIPP SoCal, we believe in opening as many doors as possible for our students, and our KIPP Excel program does just that.
Offered through KIPP Forward, our college and career counseling program, KIPP Excel supports middle school students with a GPA of 3.7 or above who are interested in exploring independent and boarding high school opportunities. Through a selective internal application and interview process, accepted students join a specialized cohort receiving personalized guidance in applying to competitive high schools.
This year, 22 remarkable students have been accepted into some of the country's most prestigious independent and boarding schools, including Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard-Westlake, Polytechnic School, and more.
Among this year’s cohort is Sofia C., an 8th grader at KIPP Comienza Community Prep, who was awarded the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship — one of the only national merit-based, need-blind high school scholarships offered to gifted students. Through this award, Sofia will receive a full four-year scholarship to Fairmont School and ongoing support and advocacy through the Institute for Educational Advancement.
“The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship is going to change my life,” said Sofia. “It’s going to give me better opportunities for a better education and extra support in applying for colleges. And I wouldn’t have known about it or been able to do it without my KIPP Forward team.”
This year’s KIPP Excel acceptances reflect the drive, talent, and academic excellence of our students and the unwavering dedication of our KIPP Forward counselors who guide them every step of the way. Congratulations to the following students on their incredible achievements:
- Cate School – Suri M. (Iluminar, Innovation), Bianca J. (Comienza)
- Culver Academies – Jade C. (Innovation)
- Dunn School – Esmeralda M. (Promesa, LA Prep)
- Fairmont Schools – Sofia C. (Comienza), Ishveer M. (Raices, Innovation)
- Flintridge Prep – Benjamin B. (Iluminar, LA Prep), Extli C. (Raices, LA Prep)
- Harvard-Westlake – Abraham M. (Corazón), Leliani L. (Promesa, LA Prep)
- Phillips Exeter Academy – Vincent A. (Corazón)
- Polytechnic School – Anais Y. (Raices, Sol), Abigail A. (Iluminar, LA Prep), Andrew A. (Iluminar, LA Prep)
- Sequoyah School – Miranda P. (Raices, LA Prep), Noah G. (Innovation), Ollie P. (LA Prep)
- The Waverly School – Pedro Z. (LA Prep)
- The Webb Schools – Leanne B. (Comienza, LA Prep), Dayleen M. (LA Prep)
- Vistamar School – Valeria A. (Corazón), Obed D. (Corazón, Comienza)
We are so proud of our KIPP Excel scholars and can’t wait to see how they continue to rise, lead, and thrive on their new campuses and beyond.